Why does water cause electronic devices (I.e. cellphones) to malfunction even after said devices have completely dried?
Unless it's distilled water, water is actually pretty dirty. It's full of little particles and sediment. Take a really close look at a glass of unfiltered drinking water and you might probably see some.
The Short Answer
Unless it's distilled water, water is actually pretty dirty. It's full of little particles and sediment. Take a really close look at a glass of unfiltered drinking water and you might probably see some. Anyway, when a device gets wet those particles settle on the microchips shorting out some of the connections (creating paths for electricity to go where it shouldn't). That's why people say to soak a phone in distilled water then leave it on rice. The distilled water washes away the sediment and the dryness of the rice pulls the water out of the phone, like a tissue dipped into a cup of water. I hope this is all accurate and simple enough, feel free to tell me if any of that is wrong or if there are better analogies. 🙂
Analysis
Key Concepts: Water, distilled, it's
This explanation focuses on water, distilled, it's and spans 132 words across 8 sentences. At 83% above the average Science explanation (72 words), this is one of the more thorough answers in this category, reflecting the complexity of the underlying question.
What This Answer Covers
The explanation opens with: “Unless it's distilled water, water is actually pretty dirty.” It then elaboratesultimately building toward a complete picture across 8 connected points.
How This Compares in Science
Ranked #50 of 500 Science questions by answer depth (top 11%). This places it in the comprehensive tier — the top quarter of most thoroughly answered questions. Questions at this depth typically involve multi-faceted topics requiring nuanced explanation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a simple explanation for why water cause electronic devices (i.e. cellphones) to malfunction even after said devices have completely dried?
Unless it's distilled water, water is actually pretty dirty. It's full of little particles and sediment. Take a really close look at a glass of unfiltered drinking water and you might probably see some. Anyway, when a device gets wet those…
How detailed is this explanation compared to similar Science questions?
This is one of the most thorough answer at 132 words, ranked #50 of 500 Science questions by depth. The key concepts covered are water, distilled, it's.
What approach does this answer take to explain water cause electronic devices (i.e. cellphones) to malfunct?
The explanation uses direct explanation across 132 words. It is categorized under Science and addresses the question through 1 analytical lens.